Paulus Wildeboer er klar til den nye sæson på NTC

The Olympics was of course the main goal of the last season (and maybe several seasons before that as well). What have you done to evaluate the event and races with the participating swimmers afterwards? Given them a long holiday off swimming maybe?

"Just before I left for Holiday, I wrote them a very extensive letter with my analyze from the Games and their participation. Then we left each other alone, after 4 years where we most of the time pretty much were on top of each other (an average of 6 hours a day). The holiday has been a month for most of them."

Do you need to work with them psychologically to make them more adapted to everyday-training again?  Training for the greatest sport-event is over, and maybe some of the swimmers need to work their mind around that fact before starting training again?

"Right now we all have problems to focus on this season. Rikke and Pal are doing great, they want “revenge”! The others are still in the process to digest the Olympics and get inspired once more about the coming competitions. I expect that to change during the month of October. Everything will be more normal when we start competing again. Then swimmers will know what has to be done to get back in a reasonable shape."

Which leads to the next question: What is important for you and the swimmers at NTC, going into this new season?

"Two different aspects:

First, we have a new group of younger swimmers whose latest competition was the Danish Summer Championship, which is almost 3 months ago. They have to work hard to adapt to the new system and to get back in shape after a far too long break.

Second, we have the Olympic swimmers, who should take this first cycle until December as relaxed as possible, but trying to get back in shape little by little."

Finally: Which new goals have been set?

"For the moment we are in the process of starting up. Next summer we have World Championships in Barcelona and the swimmers who want to perform there will have to set up their mind soon. I would like to get new talented swimmers in the team, which is very difficult because the Time Standards are very tough. It will also be interesting to see who takes his/her chance in the relays. Lotte will not swim the 4x100 freestyle anymore, so that is one place available. Pal will swim the WC with Faeroe Islands, which means one place available in the 4x200 Men relay. And finally, we should qualify the 4x200 Female relay, where we already have 3 swimmers under 2:00 minutes, but we need number four to swim fast as well! Jeanette will not swim the 4x200.We should aim for 7:55 minutes or faster."

Svømmesport håber på en forrygende sæson for Paulus Wildeboer, svømmerne og resten af teamet på NTC.